Reflections on Meditations

I’ve been interested in Stoic philosophy for a while. This way of thinking seems in line with my personal life view. Having just finished reading Meditations from Marcus Aurelius, I would like to jot down some of my thoughts.

I found it very interesting how Marcus Aurelius wrote about death. Since we are all mortal and death is a part of life, we should not be afraid of it, but celebrate all we have. We should acknowledge that our lives are very short, and in a few decades, if we are very special, maybe even centuries, nobody will remember us. This brings a slightly different perspective to daily life. First of all, you’re not that important. All you do seems crucial in your context, but in general, it is just a tiny drop in the ocean of human activities. Being conscious of this helps you realise that, although you need to do everything as well as possible, you can make mistakes and should not expect others to be perfect.

This leads me to the following conclusion that I got from the book. People are not perfect. They do wrong. You do wrong. An important part is not to do wrong on purpose.

“If it is not right, don’t do it. If it is not true, don’t say it.”

This simple rule from Marcus Aurelius seems like great advice to help you live a great life. Sounds simple, but it is not easy to do. Some people will intentionally hurt you, but it is up to you to decide how you perceive that.

That brings me to the third and final conclusion.

“The universe is transformation: life is opinion.”

Everything is an opinion. You are hurt because we allow others to hurt you. You’re in complete control over your own life and the way you see yourself. You can be perfectly happy in your current situation and with the opportunities you have. Life is a journey, and reaching the destination is the end of the journey, so the trick is to enjoy every step of the way.